I'm finding more of these that are not detected by Spybot or Ad-aware. McAffee found one of them, but unlike viruses, it did not block it at the tiee of install (and I have Zonealarm running and don't give websites permission to do things when ZA asks unless I REALLY know the site).

When I google the names of these programs, I get hits for sites selling the same software that the hijackers offer to sell to clean my system.

This crap should have been criminalized years ago. It is simply holding your computer for randsom. They never should have been able to install crap software without your permission in the first place. And these programs have some pieces that will attempt to reinstall if you don't delete EVERYTHING. C;early the designers know that you don't want it there in that case.

I call them virsues because that is what they are. Lobbyists appear to have conviced congress otherwise.

23
posted on 12/06/2005 8:36:31 PM PST
by weegee
(Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)

Glad to see someone knows the best there is. I'd give up food before I gave up my 'Counter-Spy'.

While Counterspy is quite good and one of my favorites, ALL of them miss stuff. I have scanned really clotted-up PCs with CS, cleaned it, then immediately found stuff with a Spybot S&D scan. Removed it there and ran Adaware- it found yet more.

It depends how bad the infestation is. If it's really bad- a blended counterattack with several utilities is the best bet. And, like with pulling weeds, there still may be something left.

25
posted on 12/06/2005 8:37:08 PM PST
by Riley
("Bother" said Pooh, as he fired the Claymores.)

Following HKEd and Angoid's recommendation's I haven't had any spyware or a virus since I bought my computer almost 4 years ago and I've never seen the BSD. They both took me under their wings and taught me everything I know about getting rid of 'nasties' and I spent over two years helping others clean their machines but my love of politics took over and drew me too FR.

My wife and I were just having this same discussion regarding the thoughts you just conveyed. It seems like entrapment or unlawful entry. My CPU seems to be running OK, but I'm certainly not going to be running any credit card purchases or visiting my bank on-line until this is gone.

Actually, that fell through - rumor is that it was the result of an internal battle at MS, where the good guys won. So Claria/Gator is *not* part of MS. Anyway, the MS Antispyware still finds Claria's stuff, but it does not mark it for deletion by default - you have to tell Antispyware to remove it.

Ad=Aware and Spybot are better than they once were. There used to be some virus programs that they could detect but not remove.

Perhaps that is why some of them won't catch some problems these days? Too proud to admit that they can't fix some problems.

And with the Microsoft exclusion of some genuine problems (because of partial ownership), the only way around it is to use competing programs.

Figure too that some programmers made have developed workarounds to being detected by Ad-Aware, Spybot, etc. I seem to have had periods where I had to reinstall to get them to find any real problems.

Count on there being something added to your computer anytime you enter a bad URL and wind up at some squatter's search engine. Some will be nice enough to ask you if you want them to become your homepage. Others don't care and do it anyway.

36
posted on 12/06/2005 8:45:55 PM PST
by weegee
(Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)

I've just never had any of it. Well... almost never, I got Gator 4 years or more ago, but I made the mistake of saying yes to install it.

I use Windows XP, Trend's PC-Cillan for virus protection and MS AntiSpyware. I know you think I probably have all kinds of it and just don't know. I don't. I actually think people who have a lot of adware and spyware get it because they install all kinds of freebie 'scareware' supposedly designed to get rid of it. :~D

Besides my Anti-Virus program and Firewall I have 9 anti-spyware programs installed but 'Counter-Spy' is still my favorite. Problem I've found is people d/l programs but don't install, update or run them till it's too late. We have 5 computers in the house and they're all as clean as a whistle.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.